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Pakistan

The Islamic Republic of PAKISTAN has faced internal political strife; an ongoing dispute with India over the territory of Kashmir; and, more recently, unrest due to the war against the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.  The country also struggles with poverty and coping with major earthquakes, the most recent severe one being in October 2005, when over 87,000 people were killed in both Pakistan and India.

Historical Background

One of the world’s oldest civilisations - the ancient Indus Valley Civilization covered most of modern-day Pakistan. Over the centuries, the region underwent successive invasions from Persians, Greeks, Scythians, Arabs, Afghan and Turks. The Mongol Empireflourished in the 16th and 17th centuries before the British began to dominate the region in the 18th century.  It finally became part of the British Empire in 1849.

In 1947, following 200 years of colonial rule by Britain, the Indian sub-continent became sub-divided with independence being granted to India and the formation of Pakistan.

The separation of British India into the Muslim State of Pakistan (with two parts, West and East) and the largely Hindu nation of India, was never a satisfactory solution. Most notably, it led directly to two wars (1947-48 and 1965) between India and Pakistan over the disputed region of Kashmir. 

A third war in 1971, in which India capitalised on Pakistan’s political marginalisation of Bengalis, led to the single, yet geographically divided, state of West and East Pakistanbecoming two separate sovereign nations — Pakistan (in the West) and Bangladesh (in the East). The dispute over Kashmir continues to this day, though some success in diplomacy in recent years has led to decreased tension in the region.

Geography

Pakistan is in South Asia with India to the East, Afghanistan and Iran to the West, and China, to the North. It has a land area of 307,374 sq miles (800,000 sq hectares), excluding Pakistani administered Kashmir, which has an area of 32,323 sq miles (83,715 sq hectares).  In the south, the Arabian Sea coastline stretches for 650 miles (1050 km).

Pakistan contains some of Asia’s most amazing landscapes with arid mountains in the north and west, and desert areas in the southeast. The Indus River flows south through the centre of the country, creating the fertile Indus Valley. The world’s second highest mountain, K2, is located in northern Pakistan, in the Karakoram region of the Himalayan mountain range, on the border with China.

Pakistan’s climate is generally arid, with hot summers, and cool or cold winters, but there significant regional differences, especially between the mountainous areas in the north and west and the more temperate coastal areas. Due to the continental climate, often there are big differences in temperatures between the day and night. 

There are three seasons -

• Winter (October to February) is generally warm, but cooled by sea breezes near the coast, and temperatures below freezing in the northern mountains. 
• Summer (March to June) is generally hot, especially in the Indus Valley, with mountainous north becoming pleasant and temperate.
• he Monsoon season (July to September) bringing heavy rain to much of the country, especially along the coast. 

Politics

Politics in Pakistan has suffered from corruption, inefficiency, confront-ations and alternating periods of civilian and military rule. In 1999, the civilian government was ousted by the Pakistani army, under the leadership of General Pervez Musharraf. 

In 2008, after growing nationwide dissatisfaction with Musharaf’s handling of the country’s affairs, his supporters were defeated in a general election by the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and former PM Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League (PML).

The two parties formed a coalition government led by the PPP's Yusuf Raza Gilani and an impeachment process was launched against General Musharraf, resulting in his resigned in August 2008.  In the run up to the elections, the popular political leader, Benazir Bhutto, was assassinated. 

The election was won by Asif Zardari, Bhutto’s husband, who took charge of the country at a difficult time. His government is under pressure to control Islamic militants, especially after the Mumbai attacks in India in November 2008; as well as dealing with a deteriorating economy.

Society and Culture

Pakistan’s has one of the world's fastest growing populations. The people are from a variety of ethnic groups, with a variety of cultural traditions and languages and dialects. The majority of the population is made up of Punjabis, Sindhis, Pashtuns (Pakhtuns), Mohajirs and Baluchis.  

Urdu is the official language, but Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Baluchi, Hindko, and Brahui are also spoken. English is commonly spoken amongst the upper classes and in government.

Islam is the dominant religion, around 97% of the population are Muslim. Pakistan’s name means, ‘Land of (the) Pure’, implying spiritual purity and Pakistani laws, culture and traditions reflecting this.  For example, public displays of affection, even by married couples are taboo.   

Pakistani food has been influenced by the cuisines of the Middle East, Indian, Iran, Afghanistan and Turkey. The main dish is curry accompanied by meat, cooked with vegetables or lentils. 

The national dress of Pakistan is the Shalwar Qameez - a long, loose fitting tunic with very baggy trousers, worn by both men and women.  This is amalgamation of the dresses worn by the ancient Turks, Persians and Afghans (Pashtuns), who have influenced society and culture over the centuries. 

Economy

Agriculture, forestry and fishing employs around half of the population of Pakistan and makes up around 25% of the country’s GDP.  Crops include,cotton, wheat, rice, sugarcane, fruits, vegetables, and tobacco. Most of Pakistan's agricultural output comes from the fertile the Indus basin. Pakistan is now self-sufficient in wheat, rice and sugar, thanks tovast irrigation schemes which have extended farming into arid areas, fertilizers and new varieties of crops which have increased yields.

Manufacturing, mining, and service industries are the other large employers. The country’s main industries include; processed foods, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, paper products, and fertilizer, and it is able to supply a variety of consumer goods for the domestic market. Many people go abroad in search of work where they can enjoy higher wages and a higher standard of living. 

In 1947 when Pakistan became independent, it was one of the most underdeveloped countries of South Asia. Although the country has progressed greatly since then, much still needs to be done.  It is believed around 73% of the population live on under $2 a day, with 17% live under $1 dollar a day. Poverty levels are higher in rural areas than in the cities, where there is a growing and relatively wealthy urban middle-class. The rural areas of the North West Frontier Province have the highest levels of poverty. 

Pakistan’s economy has been held back by years of political instability, lack of foreign investment and declining exports of manufactured goods, currency depreciation and high inflation. 

Christianity in Pakistan

Christian missions have been working in Pakistan since 1833. The Church experienced a revival in 1904 and a large number of Hindus become Christians between 1890 and 1930.

Although there are over 3.6 million Christians in Pakistan, this represents only 2.3% of the population.

Whilst the Islamic state has only partially implemented Shari’a law, there is a mandatory death sentence for ‘disrespect to the Prophet’ and a life sentence for desecration of the Qur’an. Christians who come from a Muslim background are particularly under threat, and Christians have suffered from malicious rumours, false charges and discrimination. 

In recent years there has been increased persecution and marginalisation of Christians and other minority groups. Events on the world stage since the ‘9/11 attack’ in the USA and the coalition-led armed interventions in Afghanistan and Iraq, have brought these problems into even sharper focus.

More on Christianity in Pakistan

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